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carolineinthelibrary 's review for:
This Is Not a Drill
by K.A. Holt
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
While I like the idea of this book and it engaged me immediately, I do understand the overwhelming criticism of it. Ava, our main character, finds herself in trouble when a lockdown drill starts and she’s out in the hallway.
Ava manages to get into a classroom, and her best friend Char’s little brother Diego is in the room and has an asthma attack. Ava ventures out of the lockdown classroom in search of an inhaler to save Diego, guided by the help of her classmates via a school app.
Obviously lockdowns are an incredibly real and unfortunate event in our society right now. I think kids would relate to the feelings expressed by Ava and her classmates, but it may be risky encouraging kids to be heroes in a serious lockdown situation. Personally, I was a kid who would have been happy to NOT be a hero, but I also empathize with Ava’s dilemma. I’m torn on recommending this book, especially to the age group this book is recommended to (I saw 8-12 years old and while I think the writing style supports that age group, the characters are middle schoolers) but I did like it.
Obviously lockdowns are an incredibly real and unfortunate event in our society right now. I think kids would relate to the feelings expressed by Ava and her classmates, but it may be risky encouraging kids to be heroes in a serious lockdown situation. Personally, I was a kid who would have been happy to NOT be a hero, but I also empathize with Ava’s dilemma. I’m torn on recommending this book, especially to the age group this book is recommended to (I saw 8-12 years old and while I think the writing style supports that age group, the characters are middle schoolers) but I did like it.